LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 8, 12 May 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

According to the Eltham correspondent of the "HaweraStar," the Hon T. Mackenzie is to be asked to contest the Egmont seat at the election. Messrs Dive and Wake have already stated that they will be candidates.

As a result of the census returns it seems probable that the readjustment of electoral boundaries which will follow will give at least three more members to the North Island. The North Island at present returns 41 members and the South Island 35, and the change will make the figures 44 and 32 respectively. The Auckland province will be the chief gainer by the alteration.

It seems hardly possible (says the "Feilding Star") that any man or boy would go out or his way to deliberately kill the sheep of a neighbour. Yet the discovery by Mr Blundell of two dead sheep on his land at Stanway points to the killing having been deliberately done. The weapon used was a pea-rifle, and two bullets were found in one of the sheep.

The King's Birthday, June 3rd, will fall on a Saturday this year, and, according to the Factories Act, it must be observed by factories on that day. Retail traders will no doubt prefer to observe it, as they are entitled to, on the following Monday, in which case some confusion and inconvenience will arise, since that section of the business community whose premises are factories and shops will be under the necessity of closing on both days or giving some of their employees a holiday on the Saturday and the others on the following Monday.

The welcome tendered to Bishop Crossley last week by the Auckland diocese was a very pleasing gathering. Addresses were read from the following:— Citizens' welcome, Diocesan welcome, Maori addresses, and Auckland Ministers' Association. The Bishop replying in an able manner, received quite an ovation, and assured the audience that wherever he lived his one ambition was to be a true citizen. He felt.au overwhelming responsibility in following the magnificient arid far-sighted Selwyn and the. genial and loving Cowie and the full-of-inspiration Neligan; but he believed he had come amongst a people who desired.to be .friends, and he asked for their co-operation to achieve success, and for all to be thirdclass passengers who would shove the Church up the hill.

Mr I. Hopkins, late Government Apiarist, says the two plants that yield poisonous honey are natives —one the pakapuka or Wharangi blossoms in the spring, and is very common in the North, while the autumn flowering plant is known as woariki, a native butter-cup. The former is a soft wooded scrub, and grows from eight to ten feet high, its leaves are large, dull green on the upper side, and silvery white underneath; it bears large sprays of small grey-ish-white blossoms. The waoriki is a small plant bearing yellow buttercup-tike flowers, and is chiefly found in swampy districts. Mr Hopkins has never heard of a poisoning case south of Hawke's Bay, and only one case there ; most of the mishaps occur north of the 38th degree of latitude, or, say north of Te Awamutu, and they only occur in the early and midspring before the regular honey season has closed.

Mr Blennerhassett, of Taranaki, is at present visiting Te Awamutu.

Mr G. A. Empson, Postmaster of Rotorua, who is on annual holiday leave is at present on a visit to Te Awamutu.

The " King Country Chronicle" reports that the hockey season has commenced in earnest at Te Kuiti. At a meeting held on Tuesday it was decided to endeavour to arrange a match with our local club as soon as possible.

A meeting, to which the public are invited, will be held in the Te Awamutu library at 3 o'clock on Saturday next, for the purpose of making arrangements for the lecture which will be delivered by one of the Home Rule delegates in the Town Hall, Te Awamutu, June I2th.

There will be a penumbral eclipse of the moon of the evening of the 13th. The first contact of the moon with the earth's penumbral shadow will take place at 3hrs l6min on the afternoon of the 13th, central at shrs 26min, and last contact at ?hrs 37min p.m.

The opening s match of the Te Awamutu Hockey Club will be played in Victoria Park on Wednesday, and every detail has been considered in arranging for a very pleasant day's sport. The committee hope to see a large number of spectators, and extend to all a very cordial invitation.

Messrs Dalgety and Company, Limited have received advice from their head office that the board of directors have declared an interim dividend of 4s per share, being at the rate of 8 per cent per annum, payable on the 15th May. The directors have decided to make the increased payment in lieu of the annual bonus.

Tenders are soon to be called by the architect, Mr Warren, Hamilton, for the building of a Catholic Church, \n Pirongia. At a meeting held in the old church last Sunday the Pirongia congregation contributed £285 towards the new church. Mr D. O'Shea, the proprietor of the local sawmill, contributed f 100 and Mrs O'Shea gave £25. Others also contributed largely.

The Minister for Public Works is being well educated' on the road question. On his return from Mokau last Friday, owing to a wash-out on the main road, the motors got bogged. A deviation was made to the Tongaporotu beach to get to the main road again, and the Minister and other members of tHe party had some rough work in getting the motors out. Eventually two horses were brought to the rescue.

Mr John Storey, one of the contractors building the new saleyards at Ohura, while returning home to lunch recently proceeded across the clearing which was once the site of an ancient Maori pa, situated immediately behind Ohura township, and observed what on close examination was undoubtedly a huia, which flew from the clearing into the bush. Mr Storey is a new arrival here, and unfamiliar with native birds, but from his minute description the identity of the presence of the huia here is unquestionable.

The popularity of the Empire Picture Company's exhibition was again evident on Tuesday evening last, when a large audience assembled to'see the very fine series of pictures screened. As usual the various items were clearly and distinctly shown, and the audience showed its appreciation by hearty applause or laughter. The management announce that they have secured a very wide range of scenic, dramatic, and comic views as advertised in another column, and Te Awamutu patrons can look forward to a pretty enjoyable display on Tuesday evening next.

Pastoralists and other users of grass seed may be interested to know that, according to the Agricultural Department Journal, locally harvested and cleaned seed probably reaches the greatest pitch to which seed-cleaning has been reached in any country in the world. New Zealand machine-dressed cocksfoot, ryegrass, and Chewing's fescue are now recognised as of a higher degree of purity than is general in other countries. This feature is regarded as particularly creditable to New Zealaaders, as the seed-cleaning machines here in use, and which are responsible for the good results achieved, are the work of local inventors and local manufacturers.

Several cases of measels and one of scarlet fever are reported in Ohakune.

Bridge players will be pleased to notice that the organisers of the several bridge parties held last winter are again at work. I

In another column notice is given of a party to be held in the Town Hall, Te on Friday, 19th inst.

The Rev. W. Woollass will conduct services next Sabbath at Ohaupo at II a.m., Paterangi 3 p.m., and at each place will conduct an ordination and induction of new elders, who have been elected by the congregation to that office.

In another column notification is given of the Waikato Musical and Elocutionary Competitions to be held at Hamilton from May 16th to 19th inclusive. The entries throughout for these competitions are exceedingly good, and lovers of music can rely on hearing the best talent the district can produce at each of the society's concerts.

Potato crops are turning out exceptionally well in Southland. The News states that the yield, taken altogether' must be quite a third better than last year, and in addition there is a much larger area than usual under- potatoes. In the Orepuki district alone it is estimated there are 6000 tons of potatoes to go on the)market, which is equal to the total shipments from Bluff for last season. A remarkable feature of the crop this year, on heavy land, is the small quantity of small tubers compared with former years, and, what is of most importance, an entire absence from all forms of disease.

/ " 1 The question of how the Otaki electorate is likely to be affected by the redistribution of boundaries, based on the increase of population disclosed by the census returns, was referred to by Mr W. H. Field, M.P., the other day. Mr Field said that his first impression was that the electorate would be cut in two in the middle, but he had since revised that opinion. The question was affected by the fact that the increase of population over the whole of the Dominion would result in the quota being increased from 1500 to .2000, but as a considerable part of that increase would have to be credited to the Wellington seats, to the extent, probably, of some 8000 in all, he thought the Otaki and Hutt seats would probably remain very much as they are, except that a piece would very likely be tacked on to each end of the Otaki electorate.